Question

Read the passage, then answer the questions.

BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the Time of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magician was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; then he got the Sea ready; and then he told all the Animals that they could come out and play. And the Animals said, “O Eldest Magician, what shall we play at?” and he said, “I will show you.” He took the Elephant—All-the-Elephant-there-was—and said, “Play at being an Elephant,” and All-the-Elephant-there-was played. He took the Beaver—All-the-Beaver-there-was—and said, “Play at being a Beaver,” and All-the Beaver-there-was played. He took the Cow—All-the-Cow-there-was—and said, “Play at being a Cow,” and All-the-Cow-there-was played. He took the Turtle—All-the-Turtle-there-was—and said, “Play at being a Turtle,” and All-the-Turtle-there-was played. One by one he took all the beasts and birds and fishes and told them what to play at.

–“The Crab That Played with the Sea,”
Rudyard Kipling

Who is the intended audience for this story?

What evidence helps identify the audience?

Answer 1

Intended audience: children (young readers).

Evidence:
- The narrator’s comforting, intimate address (“O my Best Beloved”) sounds like a storyteller speaking to a child.
- Simple, rhythmic, repetitive language and phrases (“All-the-Elephant-there-was,” “Play at being…”) make the text easy to follow and enjoyable aloud.
- Playful content and personified animals doing games (“what shall we play at?”) appeal to a child’s imagination.
- The short, straightforward sentences and fanciful premise (an “Eldest Magician” arranging creatures) are typical of stories written for kids (Kipling’s Just So Stories were specifically for children).